Fiber Optic Communication

Couplers and Connectors

Lecture 17 L t

Electrical Engineering San Jose State University

Khosrow Ghadiri

Couplers and connectors

Connectors: Metallic system: Wire: Soldering: Lossless: Economical Fiber system: fiber: Splicing: Loss: Economical Splicing is the permanent connection of two optical fiber. Two mechanism of splicing: Fusion Mechanical Splices are of two types: Midspan: the connecting of two cables Pigtail: assembly of a fiber that has been factory-installed into a connector in one end, with the other end free for splicing to a cable. The quality of splicing is measured by the insertion and reflection losses caused by the splice
Khosrow Ghadiri Fiber Optics Communications EE Dept. SJSU 2

Couplers and connectors losses

Connectors losses at any splice stem from the fact that no all light from one fiber is transmitted to another. The loss results from: Mismatch: due to fibers mechanical dimensions and numerical aperture. An improvement in splicing technique can not solve the problem. Also called intrinsic connection losses. Misalignment: are caused by some imperfection in splicing, l db f l that theoretically can be eliminated. An improvement in splicing technique can solve the problem. Also called extrinsic connection losses. Misalignment Losses in fiber-to-fiber: Core misalignment and imperfections. Lateral (axial) misalignment Angular misalignment gap b t between ends contact d t t Non-flat ends Cladding alignment

Khosrow Ghadiri

Fiber Optics Communications EE Dept. SJSU

Couplers and connectors losses

Misalignment Losses in fiber-to-fiber due to some imperfection in fiber to fiber splicing: Core misalignment and imperfections. g Lateral (axial) misalignment Angular misalignment gap between ends contact Non-flat ends due to cleaving Cladding alignment

Khosrow Ghadiri

Fiber Optics Communications EE Dept. SJSU

Mismatch losses
Coupling efficiency reduction due to mismatch: Different numerical aperture Different core diameter Elliptical cross sections (rather than Circular) with cross section are attached with their major axes unaligned. The core is not centered in the cladding and the outside cladding is used as the reference for aligning the Joint. The distance between the excitation point and the connector ( (due to unknown distribution of p power across the fiber end face, excitation method) Length of fiber following the Junctions.

Reasonable loss of 0.1 dB for splices p Reasonable loss of reusable connectors with losses less then 1 dB.
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Losses due to lateral misalignment

Assumptions: Uniform power distribution over the fiber core (suitable for multimode step index fiber). The lateral misalignment loss is due only to the non-overlap of transmission and receiving cores. g

The coupling efficiency is defined as the ratio of the overlapping area to the core area. 2 2 1 d d d = cos 1 2a 2a 2a The inversed cosine is calculated in radians. The loss in dB is:

L = 10 log10
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Losses due to lateral misalignment

Assumptions: Uniform power distribution over the fiber core (suitable for multimode step index fiber). The lateral misalignment loss is due only to the non-overlap of g transmission and receiving cores.

0
r

d 2 r d 2 cos m = a cos =

m = cos 1

d 2 a

d 2
Khosrow Ghadiri Fiber Optics Communications EE Dept. SJSU 7

Losses due to lateral misalignment

The small displacements

d 2a < 0 2the equation: 0.2

2 2 1 d d d = cos 1 2a 2a 2a 2d 2d = 1 Reduces to: a

Lateral misalignment loss for a multimode SI fiber

Khosrow Ghadiri

Fiber Optics Communications EE Dept. SJSU

Axial displacement loss example

A fiber has a core diameter of 50 m . 1) what is the allowable axial displacement if the coupling loss is to be less than 1 dB. 2) Repeat for losses of 0.5 dB. 3) Repeat for losses of 0.1 dB. Solution: The coupling efficiency L The d/a

L = 10 log10 = 10

10

2 1 d d = cos 2a 2a

d 2 1 2a

The displacement

Khosrow Ghadiri

Fiber Optics Communications EE Dept. SJSU

Axial displacement loss example

A fiber has a core diameter of

50 m .
L 10

L = 10 log10 = 10
The displacement

2 1 d d = cos 2a 2a
Loss (dB) 1.0 0.5 0.1
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d 2 1 2a
d ( m)
8 4.5 1
10

d / 2a
0.16 0.09 0.02

Fiber Optics Communications EE Dept. SJSU

Losses due to lateral misalignment

Higher ordered Higher-ordered modes are more heavily attenuated than lower modes. Higher-ordered modes contained more power near the corecladding interface. The power density at the end of a long fiber will be lower at the edge of the core than at points near its center. For small axial displacements, only the edges of the transmitting core miss the receiving fiber but the edge contain less power than is assumed in

L = 10 log10
The actual loss is less than that predicted by theory.

Khosrow Ghadiri

Fiber Optics Communications EE Dept. SJSU

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Losses due to lateral misalignment

Multimode Graded-index fiber (GRIN) numerical aperture varies Graded index across the face of the core. The numerical aperture has

r NA = n1 2 1 a

The numerical apertures of transmitter and receiver match at every point within the core when the two fibers meet with no offset. With an offset, there is a NA mismatch at nearly every point. At those points where the receiver NA is larger than the transmitter NA, all the power is transferred. At those points where the receiver NA is less than the transmitter NA, some of the power is lost.
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Losses due to lateral misalignment

The fractional efficiency at those points is equal to the ratio of square of the local numerical aperture. The coupling efficiency is the average of the local efficiencies weighted according to power distribution across the end face. The power distribution across the face is not generally known. This fact discourage comprehensive analysis. For both step index (SI) and parabolic-index fibers with the nearly Gaussian beam. The loss between identical fibers: beam

Where W is the spot size. The spot size in the focal plane

L = 10 log10 e
f W

d w

W0 =
Khosrow Ghadiri

Fiber Optics Communications EE Dept. SJSU

13

Physical optics (Diffraction theory) review

Collimated uniform light beam does not converge to a point but instead reduces to a central spot of light surrounded by rings of a steadily diminishing intensity. The central spot has diameter.

d = 2 44 f D 2.44
P

Fiber

Khosrow Ghadiri

Fiber Optics Communications EE Dept. SJSU

14

Diffraction theory review

Very small fibers (having diameters of a few micrometers) and actual light sources produces non-uniform beams. The intensities vary across the transverse plane. A transverse pattern is the Gaussian distribution. A Gaussian intensity d distribution: b

I = I 0e

2 x2 W2

W0 =

f W

A normalized Gaussian intensity distribution:

I I0

0.5
0.135

2W
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2W

x
15

Fiber Optics Communications EE Dept. SJSU

Diffraction theory review

The Gaussian beam spot pattern appears to be a circle of light light. The edges of the circle are not sharp. The light intensity drops gradually from I 0 , the maximum at the center. The radius of the spot is the distance at which the beam intensity has d h dropped to 1 e 2 = 0.135 times its peak value I 0 . This radius is d k l h d called the spot size. Focusing a Gaussian light with a lens yields distribution of light in the focal plane that is also Gaussian shaped. There are no surrounding rings like those that appear when focusing a uniform beam. The spot size in the focal plane is:
2W 0

W0 =

f W

Khosrow Ghadiri

Fiber Optics Communications EE Dept. SJSU

16

Losses due to lateral misalignment

The small displacements

d 2a < 0 2the equation: 0.2

Khosrow Ghadiri

Fiber Optics Communications EE Dept. SJSU

17

Lateral misalignment loss example

Consider the single-mode fiber core diameter of 50 m . Plot the single mode coupling loss as a function of lateral misalignment at the wavelengths 1.3 m and1.55 m , Do this for offset from 0 to 5 m. Solution: The V parameters must be calculated at two wavelengths of interest. l h f

V=

2 a

2 n12 n2

3 W = 0.65 + 1.619V 2 + 2.879V 6 a

( m)
1.3 1.55 1 55
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V 2.31 1.94 1 94

W a
1.13 1.3 13

W ( m)
4.47 5.16 5 16
18

Fiber Optics Communications EE Dept. SJSU

Lateral misalignment loss plot example

Plot of the coupling loss as a function of lateral misalignment at the wavelengths 1.3 m and 1.55 m

Khosrow Ghadiri

Fiber Optics Communications EE Dept. SJSU

19

Angular misalignment
The coupling efficiency due to small angular misalignment of multimode SI fibers is:

Where n0 is the refractive i d Wh i th f ti index of the material filling the grove f th t i l filli th formed by the two fibers and is the misalignment angle in radian. The loss is:

n0 = 1 NA

The efficiency was found by computing the overlap of the transmitting and receiving cones, assuming uniform power distribution.

n L = 10 log10 1 0 NA

Where is tilt angle and

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NA = n0 sin 0

0
20

Fiber Optics Communications EE Dept. SJSU

Angular misalignment plot

Plot of the coupling efficiency due to small angular misalignment of multimode SI fibers per degree is:

Khosrow Ghadiri

Fiber Optics Communications EE Dept. SJSU

21

Angular misalignment
Angular misalignment losses for single-mode fiber: single mode

L = 10 log10 e

n w 2

The coupling efficiency due to small angular misalignment of single SI fibers is:

Khosrow Ghadiri

Fiber Optics Communications EE Dept. SJSU

22

example
A SI fiber n1 = 1 465 n2 = 1 46 and normalized frequency 2 4 2.4. 1.465, 1.46 1) Compute its numerical aperture and core radius at 0.8 m . 2) The spot size at 0.8 m. Solution: 1) the numerical aperture
2 NA = n12 n2 =

(1.465 ) (1.46 )
2

= 0.12

V=

2 a

2 2 n12 n2 2) The spot size at 0.8 m .

2 n12 n2 a =

0.8 ( 2.4 ) = 2.53 m 2 ( 0.12 )

3 3 w 6 6 2 = 0.65 + 1.619V + 2.879V = 0.65 + 1.619 ( 2.4 ) 2 + 2.879 ( 2.4 ) = 1.1 a

w = 1.1( 2.53) = 2.78 m

Khosrow Ghadiri

Fiber Optics Communications EE Dept. SJSU

23

End separation loss

Losses due to gap between the fibers being joined has two components: 1) Two boundaries between the fiber medium and air:

n n 11 5 1.5 R= 1 2 = = 0.04 n1 + n2 1 + 1.5

2

4% of light reflected. 96% transmitted. Loss in dB.

L = 10 log10 0.96 = 0.177 dB

The total loss

L = 2 0 177 dB = 0 35 0.177 0.35

To improve the loss: fill the gap by the index-matching fluid.

Khosrow Ghadiri

Fiber Optics Communications EE Dept. SJSU

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End separation loss

Losses due to gap between the fibers being joined has two components: 2) some transmitted ray are not intercepted by receiving fiber:

xNA NA L = 10 log10 1 4 a n0
Where n0 is the refractive index of matching fluid. An indexmatching fluid decreases fiber separation loss by reducing beam fiber-separation divergence

Khosrow Ghadiri

Fiber Optics Communications EE Dept. SJSU

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End separation loss for multimode fiber

End separation for a multimode SI fiber: L = 10 log10 1

xNA 4 a n0

Khosrow Ghadiri

Fiber Optics Communications EE Dept. SJSU

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Example
Estimate the allowed misalignment for a multimode SI fiber if each type of error is allowed to contribute 0.25 dB of loss. The core radius is 50 m and NA = 0.24 1) lateral offset: L=0.25 from the figure d/2a=0.045.

L = 0.045 ( 2 50 m ) = 4.5 m

Khosrow Ghadiri

Fiber Optics Communications EE Dept. SJSU

27

Example
Estimate the allowed misalignment for a multimode SI fiber if each type of error is allowed to contribute 0.25 dB of loss. The core radius is 50 m and NA = 0.24 2) angular misalignment: from the figure, the angle is 2.4 degrees. degrees

L = 0.045 ( 2 50 m ) = 4.5 m

Khosrow Ghadiri

Fiber Optics Communications EE Dept. SJSU

28

Example
Estimate the allowed misalignment for a multimode SI fiber if each type of error is allowed to contribute 0.25 dB of loss. The core radius is 50 m and NA = 0.24 3) the end separation: from the figure, the x a = 0.94

x = 0.94a = 0.94 ( 50 m ) = 47 m

Khosrow Ghadiri

Fiber Optics Communications EE Dept. SJSU

29

The gap loss for single mode fibers

The gap loss for single mode fibers:

L = 10 log10
Where

x z= 2 n2 w2

( 4z

4 ( 4 z 2 + 1)
2

+ 2) + 4z 2

From the next page figure the gap of 10 times of the core radius produces a loss than 0.4 dB. Axial misalignment is potentially the most serious problem in multimode SI fiber.

Khosrow Ghadiri

Fiber Optics Communications EE Dept. SJSU

30

Gap loss for single-mode fiber

The gap loss for single-mode fiber is: single mode

End- separation loss for single mode SI fiber V=2.4, w/a=1.1,NA=0.12and w/a=1 1 NA=0 12and = 0 8 m 0.8
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Loss due to fiber core radius difference

The loss transmitting from a fiber of core radius a1 to one having core radiusa2 is:

a L = 10 log10 2 a1

Applicable for both SI and GRIN fibers. If all the allowed modes are equally excited If the receiving fiber core is larger than the transmitting one a1 > a2 there is no loss.

2a2

2a1

Khosrow Ghadiri

Fiber Optics Communications EE Dept. SJSU

32

Loss due to fiber core radius difference

The loss transmitting from a fiber with a higher numerical aperture to lower one is:

NA L = 10 log10 2 NA1

Applicable for both multimode SI and GRIN fibers. If all the allowed modes are equally excited If the receiving fiber NA is larger than the transmitting one NA1 there is no loss.

> NA2

NA2

NA1

Khosrow Ghadiri

Fiber Optics Communications EE Dept. SJSU

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Reference
Joseph C Palais Fiber optic communication fifth edition Pearson C. Palais, communication. edition, Pearson, Prentice Hall. 2005.

Khosrow Ghadiri

Fiber Optics Communications EE Dept. SJSU

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